New Name And Year For Leading Literary Festival

After three hugely successful years, New Zealand’s leading literary festival has announced a name and timing change.

The Auckland Writers’ Festival is now called the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival and it will be a biennial event.

“The name change acknowledges the important role readers have in the success of the Festival,” says Festival creative director Peter Wells.

The next Auckland Writers & Readers Festival is scheduled for May 2003, and it now alternates with the biennial New Zealand Post Writers & Readers Week in Wellington.

Since 1999 the Festival has introduced readers to a stunning range of international and local authors and planning is already underway for the 2003 Festival.

“Our aim continues to be to provide unprecedented access to high-quality local and international authors, academics and intellectual debate,” says creative director Stephanie Johnson.

Throughout 2002, the ‘off-year’, the Festival will organise several literary events including a day of writers’ workshops in May and a public event with a high profile international author later in the year.

The Festival also announced that it is now a charitable trust and a board has been established to run the Festival. Michael Moynahan, managing director of Random House New Zealand, is the chair of the board which includes Festival creative directors Peter Wells and Stephanie Johnson. A full list of board members is below.

There have also been some personnel changes at the Festival office. Penelope Hansen, who has organised the Festival since its inception, has been replaced by Jill Rawnsley and Karen Thompson, both of whom have worked with authors and books within the publishing industry for many years. Penelope remains involved in the Festival as a board member.

For more information please contact (please note new fax number and email address)-

Jill Rawnsley and Karen Thompson
Auckland Writers & Readers Festival
The Old Sitting Room
1B Ponsonby Rd
Newton
Auckland
Phone: ++64 9 376-8074
Fax: ++64 9 376-8073
aucklandwriters@xtra.co.nz

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival Board members are:
Michael Moynahan Chair. Managing director of Random House New Zealand Ltd and chair of Booksellers NZ.
Carole Beu Owner/operator of The Women’s Bookshop, deputy chair of the board of Booksellers NZ, has been involved in organising the Listener Women’s Book Festival for many years.
Erika Congreve Arts advocate and patron. Co-founder of the Walters Prize, patron of the Auckland Art Gallery and a board member of the Auckland Theatre Company.
Stephanie Johnson Creative Director. Writer; 2000 holder of the Katherine Mansfield
Writers’ Award.
Penelope Hansen Festival organiser 1999-2001. Manager of the Listener Women’s Book Festival from 1989 – 1994, as well as the Montana Book Awards and was involved in setting up the Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ Festival.
Sarah Sandley General Manager of INL Magazines.
Stephen Stratford Writer, editor of Architecture New Zealand, former editor of Quote
Unquote; convening judge of the 2000 Montana Book Awards.
Peter Wells Creative Director. Writer and film-maker.

Ends

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